Page 75 of Rebels Rising

My stomach clenched at the reminder of her betrayal, and not just hers. Markus was still hanging around somewhere, and I was glad it wasn’t him that had come to interrogate me. I didn’t think I’d have been able to remain level-headed enough. I probably would have torn out his throat with my teeth for what he’d done. To Katira and her roommate, to Tarren, Reece, Addy… me. His secrets cut the deepest, a pure evil that rivalled even the scientists that had torn into the people I cared about. His was untamed, a feral sort of malignancy that opposed The Program’s neat, organised, emotionless tendencies.

Markus Fletcher was tumour that needed to be ripped out of the source and left to wither away into nothing more than ash and dust.

I didn’t bother to stand to greet them, refusing to give them any form of respect. At least two out of the three had not earned it, and I still couldn’t be sure if Granger had been compromised or not. Instead, I kept my eyes intent on Colonel Granger, though I knew the scientists were the biggest threat in the room. I wanted them to believe I was underestimating them so they would, in turn, underestimate me.

‘Alexander Hironimus,’ Granger addressed me. ‘We’re going to ask you a few questions. You will provide truthful answers only, do you understand? We will know if you lie.’

Her eyes darted to the hovering scientists who took turns to remove small square device from their pockets that they attached to their holo-tabs as they eyed me with a cold expectancy. I assumed they would somehow allow them to keep track of my biological responses. Pocket lie detectors. Of course, they would invent such a thing.

‘Yes, ma’am. I understand.’ I kept my tone even while I inched my hands towards the pocket in my jumpsuit. I didn’t know how their interrogation would pan out and I felt better to have the option of freedom within grasp.

The scientists remained standing, almost as if they were guarding Granger as she produced a metal chair from the floor and sat facing me, just barely out of reach. I supposed they were. If they suspected she was working against them then it made sense for them to be keeping a close eye on her.

‘Alex, I need you to tell me where the subjects are,’ she said, her tone hard but her eyes soft and pleading while the others couldn’t see.

‘Which subjects?’ I ask obstinately, though there was legitimacy in my question. ‘You’ll need to be more specific.’

‘All of them. Any of them. Just tell us what you know.’

I shrugged then leaned back against the metallic wall. The cold seeped into my skin and burrowed deep, but I used the sensation to keep me in the present.

‘Alex,’ she tried again, this time a little more forcefully. ‘I can’t help you if you don’t help me…us,’ she quickly corrected, her shoulder tensing at the blunder. I wondered what it was they were threatening her with if she was so eager to try to drag the information they sought out of me, of all people.

‘I don’t know. Not here.’

The scientists studied the results of my answer but I couldn’t read any emotions reflected over what they found.

‘What about the children? Where are the youngest subjects?’

I shrugged again, settling in for the long-haul. ‘Don’t know.’

‘Reece and Adara?’ she pushed.

‘I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t know where they are.’

The female scientist stepped forward, her scowl so deep her eyes were nothing more than slits as she waved the little device in front of my face. ‘Subjects NS-001 and NS-002 are on board this ship. They were apprehended with the rest of you, so that’s one lie confirmed, Mister Hironimus,’ she spat, dropping my title in an obvious attempt to rattle me while she called me out. I was getting quite used to Artemis taking over my position, so it didn’t work, and I didn’t owe these bastards the truth so they wouldn’t be getting it from me regardless.

But one thing made me frown in confusion. ‘Subjects NS-001 and NS-002?’

‘You will have known them as the criminals named Reece Hastings and Adara Brin, but as their rights have been stripped from them so have their identities. They are now property of The Program and will be addressed as such,’ the woman sneered and I fought every instinct within me not to leap over Granger and throttle the bitch.

With a herculean effort I managed to keep my face void of all emotion as I responded to her unspoken threats. ‘I don’t know what you want me to tell you. You might haveAddyandReecein your custody again, but that doesn’t mean I know anything about the others. Did you consider the possibility that Artemis took the kids on another ship?’

Her lips pinched as she stepped forward, attempting to intimidate me. It was an unsuccessful attempt due to the fact that she was about a third of my size, clearly not trained in combat if her portliness was any indication, and her face was turning a rather amusing shade of purple. Granger rose a single, weathered hang to stop her progress, however, and stood from her seat. The chair slid back into its spot in the floor. That action alone let me know this conversation was about to be cut short.

‘Last chance, Alex. You won’t like what happens next if you don’t cooperate. Obstinance will not help you.’

When my lips didn’t even twitch, hers pursed in disapproval before the scientists pocketed the devices. Granger turned and left the room. Demari was hot on her heels and I wasn’t sad to see either of them go, though I did pause to wonder why he hadn’t spoken up once in that entire interaction. The nameless woman remained for a moment longer, scrutinising me with a simmering rage I was all too happy to incur, and then she, too, left the room.

As soon as the lock snicked on the door I was moving, the ball-like device in my hands. I felt around for the hidden divot and pressed down when I found it. A barely perceptible hum emanating from it followed by a click, and then the handcuffs holding my arms behind my back slid off my wrists.

I put on a show for the cameras by keeping my hands pinned behind my back and holding onto the cuffs, but I needed to get a move on if our plan was going to work in time. I shot up off the bed and pressed an ear against the door, listening for any signs of life outside the room. I was relieved when I caught the sound of someone’s heavy breathing just on the other side. At least they weren’t stupid enough to leave me unguarded, but they were going to be in for a shock when they realised that wasn’t enough. Perhaps Granger wasn’t a complete write-off if she hadn’t given them the full scope of my capabilities, though I suspected if they wanted to know then they would just look it up. Even if they didn’t have authorised access to my files they would have just hacked into them regardless.

On a positive note, there was only one individual guarding my door which meant I would be able to get the drop on them as soon as I burst through. Still, I waited for a few more clicks just to be sure, and when I heard no other signs of life I placed the tiny orb against the locking mechanisms and listened to the low whir as it worked its magic. The locks retracted noisily so I didn’t waste any time shoving out into the hallway, immediately jabbing the guard in the throat with my knuckles before he could process what was happening in time to react.

He bowled over with a wheeze, clutching at his throat, leaning right into my grasp as I gripped his head and smashed it into the doorframe, disorienting him further. I did it again, then once more until he collapsed on the ground unconscious.

One guard dealt with quickly and easily, I scanned the corridor for more only to find it completely deserted. I knew I didn’t have long until someonewas alerted to my escape, so I rushed to open the next door down. A group of officers I was unfamiliar with were crammed inside the tiny space, but they grinned when they saw me, eager to get the show on the road.

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